Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator

An ICD is a device placed under the skin that continuously monitors your heart rhythm and protects you from life-threatening arrhythmias.

If your heart beats too fast or dangerously irregular (like in ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation), the ICD can:

• Deliver small pacing pulses to slow it down, or
  
  

• Give a quick electric shock to restore normal rhythm.
  
  

ICDs are recommended for:

• People who have survived a sudden cardiac arrest
  
  

• Those with certain types of heart failure or a weak heart muscle (low ejection fraction), who are at high risk of sudden arrhythmia
  
  

The ICD is implanted in a similar way to a pacemaker but has extra features to detect and treat serious rhythm problems.

Consult your cardiologist to learn whether an ICD could help protect your heart.